International Blog

Top Performers

Marc Tucker was president of the National Center on Education and the Economy. For two decades, his research focused on the policies and practices of the countries with the best education systems. This blog is no longer being updated.

Education Opinion 'I Love the Uneducated.'
In his final Top Performers post, Marc Tucker says farewell and tells readers what's next for him.
Marc Tucker, November 28, 2018
10 min read
Teaching Profession Opinion Teachers Colleges as the Weakest Link: Part 2
Building off of his piece last week, Marc Tucker looks at how the economics of higher education and lacking state governance combine to weaken schools of education.
Marc Tucker, November 9, 2018
11 min read
Teaching Profession Opinion Teachers Colleges: The Weakest Link
Marc Tucker explores why and how U.S. teacher education is holding our teachers, the profession and our schools back.
Marc Tucker, November 1, 2018
11 min read
School Choice & Charters Opinion David Osborne on Reinventing Government (of Schools)
In discussing a recent book on remaking U.S. schools by David Osborne, Marc Tucker explores how his own views on school choice, competition and accountability have evolved over the years.
Marc Tucker, October 25, 2018
10 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Opinion The Great American Growth Machine and How to Fix it
Marc Tucker responds to a Wall Street Journal piece by former Fed Chair Alan Greenspan and Economist editor Adrian Woodridge and argues that it is challenges in our education system, rather than increasing regulation and social expenditures, that are undermining U.S. economic dynamism.
Marc Tucker, October 18, 2018
4 min read
Education Opinion Trust: An Essential Ingredient for Top Performance
Marc Tucker explores the critical importance of trust in successful education systems and how trust was lost in U.S. education.
Marc Tucker, October 11, 2018
9 min read
Assessment Opinion Setting NAEP Performance Standards: How We Got Here
Marc Tucker recounts the history of criticism of NAEP's standard-setting process and proposes a new model for The Nation's Report Card.
Marc Tucker, October 4, 2018
9 min read
Student Achievement Opinion NAEP Must Get Its Standards Right This Time
With NAEP at a critical crossroads as the Nation's Report Card's governing board sets new proficiency standards, Marc Tucker argues the board must align those standards to real-world college and career readiness or U.S. students and schools will pay the price.
Marc Tucker, September 27, 2018
10 min read
School Choice & Charters Opinion On Nobel Prizes That Do Not Yet Exist and Other Exciting Matters
Marc Tucker looks at a host of issues raised by readers after his recent blog post looking at why U.S. schools continue to struggle.
Marc Tucker, September 20, 2018
7 min read
Education Funding Opinion Is What Once Made U.S. Schools Great Now Holding Them Back?
Marc Tucker takes us through the development of the U.S. education system and examines how key elements of that development have allowed a growing number of countries to far exceed American performance.
Marc Tucker, September 12, 2018
10 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Opinion The Tangled Web: The High School Diploma, College and Career Readiness Standards and Career and Technical Education
Marc Tucker looks at how low bars for college and career readiness standards, career and technical education and high school graduation requirements are leaving U.S. students two and three years behind their peers in top-performing systems.
Marc Tucker, September 6, 2018
10 min read
Standards Opinion Arne Duncan's Take on School Reform: Read It!
Marc Tucker reflects on what we can learn about systems reform from the former Secretary's new book.
Marc Tucker, August 30, 2018
11 min read
Education Opinion It's Time: I'm Stepping Down
Marc Tucker announces he's stepping down as president and CEO of NCEE and shares his plans for the future.
Marc Tucker, August 23, 2018
3 min read
Education Funding Opinion The Summer of '18
Marc Tucker's reflections as the summer months come to a close.
Marc Tucker, August 16, 2018
1 min read